ntly.

"What do you mean, you young villain!" cried Captain Chinks, springing
forward over the table, and seizing the skipper by the throat. "Do you
mean to say I'm one of them?"

"Let me alone!" yelled Bobtail, struggling to shake off the hard gripe
of the visitor.

[Illustration]

Our hero had a hard fist, if it was a small one, and he used it
vigorously upon the head and face of his assailant. He pounded so hard
that the captain, holding him at a disadvantage across the table and
centre-board, was compelled to release his hold.

"I am not to be trifled with," gasped Captain Chinks, panting from his
exertions, and smarting from the heavy blows which Bobtail had inflicted
upon his face.

"Nor I, either!" yelled the skipper, seizing a spare tiller which lay on
the transom. "If you put your finger on me again, I'll break your head!"

"What's the row?" shouted Monkey, rushing down into the cabin, his round
eyes distended to their utmost.

"I don't let anybody take me by the throat," replied Bobtail, shaking
his head, and adjusting his shirt collar at the same time.

"It's all right now, Monkey, go and catch your fish," added Captain
Chinks, mildly, feeling that his wrath had got the better of him, and
induced him to commit an imprudent act.

"It won't be all right if you put your hand on me again," said Bobtail,
still holding the spare tiller in his hand.

"You knew that I came over in the Islesboro' packet this morning."

"I wasn't thinking of you when I spoke," muttered Bobtail, who for the
first time saw the force of the suggestion he had made.

"I was only supposing a case," said the captain.

"What? when you caught me by the throat? I don't want you to suppose any
more cases, then."

"I won't, Bobtail. Perhaps the men had run the boat ashore, and were
looking for a place to hide the goods, when the wind blew her off, and
sent her adrift."

"Perhaps it was so; I don't know," answered the skipper, coldly.

"If she had a cargo in her, what have you done with it?"

"I didn't say she had any cargo, and I'm not going to say anything more
about it till the owner claims the boat. That's the end of it."

Little Bobtail rose from the transom, and walked towards the
companion-way. Captain Chinks looked very savage. He was evidently in a
dilemma, from which he could not extricate himself.

"One minute more, my lad," called the captain. "I may possibly come
across the person who lost this boat."

"If yo